August 10, 2023 – I own copies of two of the seven Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, the ones that are in the 3D bluray format, but I'm not really a fan, in that I haven't seen all the films, nor have I read any of the comic books, but dang, this film is a lot of fun, even for a non-fan.

I went to see this because is being shown in 3D, and I support the format with my ticket and disk purchases. The 3D is not all that impressive, at least not compared to the animated movies with the best 3D, like “Thunder and the House of Magic,” or “Finding Nemo,” but the story is funny and well-crafted, with lots of movie in-jokes.

It is easy to see that the writers, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jeff Rowe are big fans of this series, because this reboot, complete with an origin story, is a love letter to these pizza-eating turtles.

The turtle brothers, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello, have been mutated by a mysterious green ooze, along with several other critters, including the wise old rat Splinter, who has raised them in secret in the sewers of New York City. The mutagen was created by rogue scientist Baxter Stockman, who used it to mutate a housefly now known as Superfly.

Splinter has raised the turtles to avoid contact with humans, who are dangerous, but the turtle brothers want to escape the confining life in the sewers and interact with those living above, including the humans. They make extended forays into New York to get food, but they also like to watch movies and people.

One night, they see thieves make off with a moped belonging to an aspiring teenage journalist named April O'Neil, and they decide to intervene, using their ninja skills to rout the criminals and return the moped. April befriends the turtles, who get the idea that people will accept them if they prove themselves to be heroes.

Their fist attempt at heroic crime fighting is to stop a mysterious string of technology thefts. That brings them face to face with Superfly, who also leads a gang of mutants. He explains to the turtles that they are all brother mutants, dating back to Baxter Stockman's original experiments 15 years earlier. The turtles are tempted to join Superfly's mutant brotherhood, until they find out about his apocalyptic scheme to take over the world.

It's not enough to have to stop Superfly, but there is another corporate outfit, Baxter Stockman's old employer, who wants to use mutant power for military purposes. This is too much for the turtles to handle by themselves. They need allies, which come from unexpected places. Along the way, they discover the real meaning of heroism as they emerge from the shadows into the light. This movie rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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